Musical instrument.



H. E. FRENCH.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1908.

Patented May 9, 1911.

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HORACE 'EDGAR FRENCH, OF NEWCASTLE, INDANA, ASSIGNOR T0 KRELL-FRENCHPANO CO., F NEWCASTLE, NIDIANA, .A CORPURATION OF NDIANA.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

:MUSICAL NSTRUIJIENT.

Patented May 9, 191i.

Application lled September 28, 1908. Serial No. 454,992,

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, 'HORACE EDGAR FnnNoi-i, a citizen ot' the UnitedStates, residing at Newcastle, in the county of Henry and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Musical lnstrunicnt, of whichthe followingl is a specication.

This invention relates to a mechanical musical instrument or. player,and is chiefly adapted for use on the pneumatic type thereof.

The principal objects ot the invention are to provide an improved meansfor supporting, exposing, and operating the various controlling devicesor levers; to provide an improved. mechanism for operatingthe lowerpanel, and means whereby all the said. devices will be controlled bysaid lever supporting means in a convenient and simple manner.AFurther'objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to-the accompanying` drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a pneumatic piano playershowing one way in which the several features of this invention may beapplied thereto; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a part of the deviceshowing the parts in position for locking the keys; Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail view of the key lock; Fig. 4 is a plan of the drawer orslide showing the controlling` device; and Fig. 5 is an elevation fromthe rear showingl how the lower panel is operated.

The key-bed. is shown as provided on the bottom thereof with drawer orslide 'l1 on which are located the various controlling" devices. It isshown as provided with a inutller operating lever 12, a lever 13 'toroperating` the forte or loud pedal, a choker operating lever 1li, atempo lever 15, and a re-roll lever 16, but it will be understood thatit may be provided with more or less controlling devices or levers.according tov `theA type of instrument to which it is applied.Connecting' wires l17 to the muffler,

1S to the loud pedal, 19 to the tempo, and to the re-roll .are alsoillustrated, 'lhc drawer or slide is also provided with a choker box 9.1and a re-roll 22, and with air channels 23 and 24 for said boxesrespectively. The choker valve Q5 is connected vwith the lever 11i by alink 2G, and a re-roll valve 27 is connected to the lever 16 by link 28,all of which will be readily understood. The air channels QS-and 2li areconnected with corresponding` devices on the instrument by means oflflexible connections 29 so that the controlling mechanism may bemounted on the drawer or slide so as to move out and in therewith andexpose the operating ends oi" the levers when it is drawn out.

The front end of the drawer or slide is provided with a raisedrib 30which engages the bottom of the key bed when in closed position so as toconceal the levers and which serves as a hand-rest for the operator whenthe drawer or slide is pulled out. The drawer is provided with a guide31 which has notches 32 (Fig. il) in theend adapted to co-act with stops33 for limiting its outward motion. Means is connected with this draweror slide whereby when it is pulled out this will not only expose thecontrolling,` devices in the proper position 1Corl operation, but willopen the lower panel, release the pedals so that they will drop out,andlock the keys. The means whereby these results are secured accordingto the present drawings will nowbe described.

The drawer is provided with a flexible connection 35 passing overpulleys 3G on the bottom of the key-bed and connected with averticallysliding' lower panel 37 by means of a, lever 3S. This system ofconnections is reduced to a very simple form so that when the drawer ispulled out the panel will be raised. In raising the panel the pivotedpedals ll0 are exposed, and not only that, but a latch 41 which operateson a member -l-Q on the pedal supports 45 to hold the pedals in 'foldedposition is engaged by a projection 43,

on the inside of the panel and raised as ini dicatcd in dotted lines inFig. 1, so as to permit the pedals to be forced outy by means of aspring; 4.4- which normally closes the ISE:

bellows 4G.' The pedals are connected with v the bellows 4G byl links 47or in any other desired manner. l'

The pedals 40 are at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to thehorizontal supports -45 when they are out in the dotted position inFig. 1. ln order to fold them into the piano` they must be compressed tothe same o1 the keys.

position as these supports. When folding them into the piano a pin 48 onthe side of each pedal engages into the grooved end of a pivoted tongueor pedal trip e9 which forces the pedalsback into the proper position,and this tongue is released by a spring 69 as soon as this isaccomplished. They are then pressed rearward farther until the cross bar42 passes under the latch 4l which by means of a spring immediatelydrops down and catches the same. The operation of pulling the drawerforward raises the panel/.37. rhe projection 43 raises the latch 4l. onits upward motion, which releases the trap work and the pedals arethrown forward by the coil spring 44 which is in tension. When thepedals are folded up the projection 43 passes beyond the latch 4land'does not touch the same in returning. The movement of putting thepedals back into position is accomplished by pushingthe same rearwardwith one movement of therfoot, which not only raises the pedalmechanism, but compresses the pedals into proper position and pushesthem into position, where they are automatically locked by the latch 41.

rli'he key lock 50 consists of a pivoted bar located in the key-bedunder the front ends It is provided with an arm or lever 51 which isconnected with the drawer or slide so that the pulling out of the latterwill swing the key lock into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2,so as to engage the bottoms of the keys 53 and hold their forward endsup during the automatic play` ing of the instrument.

Each key is shown as having an attachment 54 in the form of a leverwhich is pivotally connected on a vertical pivot 55' near the center ofthe key. The attachment shown herein is one which comes within the.scope of my prior invention set forth in my Patent No. 905304 grantedDecember l i908, but it is shown ina form which is comparatively simple,as the pivot 55 may consist of a simple screw and the attachment is heldfrom gcttingoutof proper position by means of a downwardly projectingpin p6 engaging in a recess in the back of the rey. v

As in my above mentioned patent the attachment is provided with acapstan screw 57 for connection with the action,and with an adjustabledisk 58 for connection with the striking pneumatics through sliding rods59.

`It will be observed that as in my above vmentioned patent, the capstanscrew is located over a cushion 60 which is on the rear end of the keyso that the instrument may be played either mechanically orautomatically, so as to get, in I approaching that of the human hand.

'While l have illustrated and described a the latter case, a touchpreferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that many'modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in theclaims. Therefore l do not wish to be limited to all the details ofconstruction shown, but i What. I do claim is z*- l. The combinationwith the key-bed of a mechanical playing instrument, of a reciprocabledrawer' mounted under the key-bed and capable of being drawn out infront in position to serve as a hand-rest and having a plurality of airchannels therein, and controlling devices mounted to move with thedrawer and having means operable inde-. pendently of the motion of thedrawer for controlling said air channels.

2. The combination with the key-bed of a mechanical playing instrument,of ahandrest mounted under the key-bed and capable of being drawn out infront and having a plurality of air channels therein, controllingdevices mounted to move with the hand rest and movable independentlythereof for controlling said air channels, and flexible connections forsaid air channels attached to the hand rest.

In a music playing device, the combination with the keybed and keys, ofa keylock, a drawer under said keybed, a controlling device mounted onthe drawer and adapted to be concealed by said drawer when closed, andmeans operated by the drawer for raising' the key-lock under the frontends of the keys when the drawer is pulled out to expose the controllingdevices.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with the key-bed,ofa drawer under the key-bed, controlling devices on the drawer, apivoted key lock, a lever on the key-lock, means for operating saidlever automatically by drawing` out the drawer for rocking' the key-lockinto contactwith the bottoms of the keys, a panel, and means connectedwith said drawer for operating the panel.

The combination with the key-bed, of' a drawer, controlling devicesadapted to be concealed thereby, a key-lock, a vertically sliding'panel, a lever for lifting the panel, means connected with said drawerfor operating the key-lock, and a flexible connection between the drawerand said lever for opening the panel, when the slide is drawn out.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination with the key-bed, of a slidetherefor, a key lock, al lower panel, pedals, and means connected withsaid slide whereby when it is pulled out the keys will be locked, thepanel will be raised, and the pedals will swing out into exposedposition. I

. In a musical instrument, the combination of a lower panel, a keybed,means lomy hand, in the presence of two snbserbng Witnesses.

HORACE EDGAR EEE-NCH.

Witnesses LAWRENCE FRAIZER, MYRON E. MILLIKAN.

